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New systems, software and processes are replacing so-called islands of automation with seamless, automated manufacturing lines that boost overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) from 30 to 80% or more.

SME’s Smart Manufacturing Hub will be part of IMTS this year. Smart Manufacturing asked past Hub speakers to imagine what manufacturing will look like in 2030. Here are their visions:

In a high-mix/low-volume environment, it’s not good enough to simply be part of the pack. Today you need to be out front and pulling away, powered by the best smart tech available.

With vaccinations on the rise, the in-person collaboration that is still essential to doing business, including trade shows, is growing. But challenges to recovery from the pandemic remain. Global supply chains are struggling with multiple disruptions. Shipping rates are historically high. Computer chip shortages are curbing output.

We no longer need to accept that it takes a decade to create and make a safe and effective vaccine—thanks in part to smart manufacturing.

This is the first in a series of articles that will cover the accelerating improvement in manufacturing technology.

Automakers during this decade face a big challenge. They are having to invest in electric vehicles. But EVs, at least for now, won’t generate the profits of conventional vehicles, according to an annual report by consulting firm AlixPartners.

I’m among the first to dive into the latest manufacturing innovations and see how they can improve our customers’ operations. Yet, I’m also among the first to advise them to pause and ensure that the fundamentals of their manufacturing processes are in place before adding something new into the complex mix of functionality and desired outcomes.

It’s a familiar scenario at the factory. Quality issues have reared their ugly heads, requiring rework, causing backorders, delaying shipments, and driving tense daily customer calls. Meanwhile, the team works to address production issues using a mix of day-old post-mortem reports, shop-floor observations captured on notepads, and other operational data summarized on spreadsheets and sticky notes.

Defense systems are, by design, built to defend against threats. Today, however, manufacturers of these systems are focusing on an entirely new kind of threat: security breaches targeting their automation systems.